Cracking process



NMUUULH G. EGLOFF CRACKING PROCESS Nov. 14, 1933.

Y ber 5. This chamber 5 may either be more'orv Y Patented Nov. 14, 193312 f Y vGnxstavItlg'l'ol'l, Chicago, lll-., assignor to Universal Oil Products Company, Chicago, Ill., ancor-po-V ration of South Dakota.

applicati@ neceiber. 1s, 19275,'"seria1, No. '16,173 I v- Renewed July. `31, 1930 i 2 claims;y (or 19e-56) This invention relates to improvementsv `in cracking processes -and refers more particularly Vin its novel features to the` stepof dephlegma tion. i .f Y

' According to thek present inventionl cause the crackedV vapors to pass through a dephleg- Vmator containingabodyof more or -lessi-comminuted bitumen, as, for example, broken'coal,

broken shale, Vor the like. Other btumens may perhaps beA used; as, for example, natural or artificialasphalts of high,v melting point; i. ne., preferably higher Ythan the l.ten'lperature `of the vapors 'en'teringthe dephlegmator.` f

In order tomoreclearly understand the'invention I have shown the accompanyingdraw-V ing,in which' thesingle gure representsY a somewhat diagrammatic view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section of an apparatus adapted` for carrying out my invention.

VReferring to the drawing, 1 designates a furnace in which is mounteda heating coil 2, pro'- vided vwith transfer line 3, having throttle Valve 4, and leading to an enlarged expansioncharn` less heated by the stack gasesor otherwise externally heated or maybe merelyinsulated. The chamber 5 is provided with liquid draw-off 6,

controlled by throttle valve '7 and with vapor outlet pipe 8 extendinginto the lower end of a dephlegmator 9. The pipe 8 is provided vwith a spaced cap 10, so arranged as to permit the vapors to pass freely to the dephlegmator, but preventing any condensed material from falling back'into the chamber 5.`

"Ihedephlegmator 9 is provided at one end with a relatively large manhole 111, and at its top with another manhole12. Just above the cap 10 is a foraminous plate 13, adapted to support the coal or other bitumen, as clearly shown in thedrawing.

The reflux condensate from the oil vapors as well as any `dissolved hydrocarbonaceousV material from the coal` are drawn out through Athe line 1e having throttle valve 15. vThe materialv which still remains in vaporfform in dephleggl The vapors not condensed in theV reflux condenser 18 pass out through vapor line 24, having throttle valve 25, to-water condenser 26, and

' thencevtoreceiver 27. This receiver 27 is provided with a liquid draw-offpipe 28 controlled by throttlevalve 29, and with a gas outlet pipe 30 controlled by valve 31,'the pipe 30 in turn being connected, if desired to a gas holder 32.

The process may be carried out as follows: Petroleum oil, as, for example, gas oil or fuel oil, ispumped from any suitable source of supply 4into the heating coil 2whereit may be heated at a transfer temperatureof, say, 950 degrees F. The heated oil passes into the chamber 5, which, as heretofore stated, is either insulated or more. or less externally heated, (there. maybe a plurality of these chambers 5, i1" desired, which chambers maybe operated alternately or togethenbut itgis not thought'necessary to encumber the drawing'with a `showing of a plurality ,of chambers) andthe vapors pass out throughthe pipe Y8 into the dephlegmator Y9.

The temperature ,of this dephlegmator may be controlled in any one of a number of Ways well known in the art, Vwhich it is notnecessary here to describe. As the vapors pass up through the bed of coal or other vbituminous material, the heavier ends are condensed, the amount of such condensation depending upon the. temperature at which the dephlegmator is maintained relative to the boiling point of the vapors themselves. TheV coal acts'in effect to produce a scrubbing action and cleans those vapors which are not condensed and which pass out into the second reflux condenser.k (If desired, this second reflux condenser can be by-passed in an obvious manner.) The coal serves, as stated, to scrub the vapors, and also to act to baffle them to facilitate reilux condensation. On the other hand the action of the hot vapors which may enter 95 remain in liquid form are drawn out with the `100 petroleum reilux condensate, while those thatVV vaporize at the temperature' and pressure used will pass out with'the gasoline vapors into the second reflux 'condenser where more reflux condensation may take place, and more or less of l vthem nally 'reach the water condenser and thence the receiver together withA the incondensablegases produced. The reflux condensate and the liquid dissolved or distilled out of the coal may be re-run through .the system by means of 110 the reflux pump and lines hereto-fore described. As heretofore stated, however, the lightest portions of the distillates obtained from the coal will pass into the receiver.

As the process proceeds, the chamber or chambers 5 will, ofcourse, accumulate coke and in time have to be cleaned out. By this time the coal in the dephlegmator will have been freed of a large part, if not the greater part, of its evaporable constituents, and is in prime condi-k tion for fuel. v

The system may be operated under a uniform pressure from the heating coils to the receiver of, say, 500 pounds more or less. Or the. systern may be so operated as to have differentials; i. e., lower pressures, for example, on the dephlegmator than on the coil 2 or chamber 5. vItY is Y understood that the pressure may` be widely varied, and with varying pressures you Willr use different oil temperatures. The apparatus would be so runv as to avoid as far as possible coking 'up the heating coil 2.

I claim as my invention:

1`. A process for treating hydrocarbon liquids and solids to produce low boiling point liquid products, which comprises maintaining a mass of Ahydrocarbon solids in an enlarged Zone, maintaining a body of the hydrocarbon liquids 'under 'cracking conditions ofA temperaturer and pressure Zone.

2. A process for producing low boiling point oil 'from hydrocarbon liquid and hydrocarbon solids whichY comprises continuously supplying the liquid to a heating zone and passing the same Ytherethrough in a 'restricted stream while heatving the stream to cracking temperature under pressure, discharging the heated stream into a vapor separating zone and separating the same therein into vapors and residuum, removing the vapors and introducing the same while at a temperature of at least 85091". into a mass ofA the hydrocarbon solids, condensing a. portion of the vapors in said mass while distilling the mass by` the heat of the vapors, subjecting the remaining uncondensed vapors commingled with the vapors evolved from the solids to dephlegmation therevby'forming reflux condensate, combining such reux condensate and ther condensate formed in said mass with the hydrocarbon liquid being supplied to the heating zone for subjection to cracking temperature therein, and-iinally condensing the dephlegmated vapors as a product of the process. Y

l GUSTAV EGLOFF. 

